Mobile/portable personal communications/computing devices commonly include physical/mechanical buttons/keys integrated into a device case (such as on a side-wall edge). Such mechanical touch buttons/keys are distinguished from, for example, capacitive touch buttons/keys defined on a device screen.
Touch sensing technology can be used to replace physical/mechanical buttons with touch buttons defined on an exterior touch surface/segment of a device case (touch button area). Touch sensing can be used to detect touch-press of a touch button, such as based on deflection/displacement of the touch button area, as detected by a touch sensor mounted/installed within a device case at the interior side of the touch button area. Touch sensing can be based on inductive sensing with an inductor coil sensor, or capacitive sensing with a capacitive electrode sensor.
While this Background information references touch input for mobile/personal communication/computing devices, this Patent Disclosure is more generally directed to input button/keys based on touch technology.